Sick of the lies

[cybergenesis]

I have been taking marijuana (heavily) for over 20 years and I am sick of the lies surrounding marijuana.

 

* Why do we not tell our youth the truth?

 

You are much safer and better off getting stoned than drunk! For any person, smoking marijuana is a safer option to getting drunk. Don't want to end up dead? There is no known chance of death from taking marijuana, but there are many increased risks for death from consuming alcohol, including accidents, injury, being a victim or instigator of violence, car crashes, suicide, rape, and death directly attributed to the toxic effects of alcohol on the body.

 

* If Marijuana becomes legalized, it will replace alcohol as the drug of choice among a modest percentage of the population (especially among young people who are still developing such patterns). People have finite time and money. They have finite money to spend on either alcohol or marijuana. If the amount of people consuming marijuana increases, the amount of damage from the much more destructive drug- alcohol- decreases. I'd estimate a reduction in alcohol consumption from legalization of between 5%-15%. Long term as generational habits change, I suspect it could result in as much as a 25%-30% decrease in alcohol consumption.

 

* Marijuana is a very safe drug. The best scientific evidence strongly suggests it does NOT causes schizophrenia, depression, self harm or any other serious mental disorder. It does not cause violence or crime. The best scientific evidence suggests it does not cause cancers or emphysema from smoking. It does not cause heart disease.

 

* Marijuana is about as addictive as coffee (unless combined with tobacco). In fact I personally can honestly say that I would prefer to not have marijuana than run out of coffee, because for me personally the "withdrawal" from coffee, is worst than from marijuana and I am a very heavy, constant consumer of cannabis. Having been a very heavy and addicted smoker of cigarettes, and a former severe alcoholic, I certainly know what addiction is.

 

So when will the media tell the truth: Legalization of marijuana as a recreational drug will result in health benefits to society, due to reduced money being spent on alcohol and other drugs.

 

Marijuana is a safe drug with the only real point against it being it can occasionally cause panic attacks (usually inexperienced users consuming too much or experienced users consuming way too much). There is no possible justification for marijuana being illegal except assumptions based on incorrect information and ignorance.

 

I've seen the real world.. I've been and known alcoholics. I've been up close and personal and lived with people addicted to injecting methamphetamine. I've known cocaine, heroin and other drug users. LSD, mushrooms, DXM, Ecstacy. I've lived with and known people with serious criminal behavior (including people that have murdered others), I've lived with and known people with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. In fact I've seen these people before and after smoking marijuana, including at times when they are unwell. I've seen about 15-20 mentally ill patients (the entire population of a ward) all smoking cannabis, and the night staff nurse actually turning a blind eye to it while he smoked opium... Anyway I have seen a lot in my life, and what I mean is that I have seen marijuana out in the "rough and wild" and to say marijuana has a destructive effect on society is a LIE. Its a complete LIE.

 

LEGALIZE MARIJUANA!

[bufo marinus]

Yeah your preaching to the converted Reverend but glad you think the same Teach the children well I say too, and enjoy life

[cybergenesis]

 

Yeah I know...

 

But I'm also just bitching about how shit things are in regards to marijuana..

 

Where is my utopia where pot is legal? I want to be able to go out places and open smoke pot (ie a cafe etc).

[brick]

 

Yeah I know...

 

But I'm also just bitching about how shit things are in regards to marijuana..

 

Where is my utopia where pot is legal? I want to be able to go out places and open smoke pot (ie a cafe etc).

 

Until the pharmacutical companies, alcohol producers, governments can find a way to fleece cannabis smokers of their money it will never fully be legalised.

[JohnC]

This sort of thread is one of the biggest problems we face in the fight to decriminalise or legalist the herb,,,,,,we lie just like the other side does,,,and it's obvious.

People read threads/posts like this,and must know that it is a "very" one sided and dishonest version of the same game those that want to keep us criminals are playing.

I read this thread and instantly thought of the people I know that have hurt themselves very badly while stoned,of people I've known that spend most of their money on pot and do belive they need it to get through the day.

I know people that can't get off their arses to go to work because they are stoned all the time.

I won't even go into the people that involve themselves and by contact their familys with organized crime and all that goes with it.

I've known people that have gone out with the intension of robbing others of both money and weed,and I've known people that have been robbed of both by other stoners,,,we come from all walks of life and ain't all hippys.

There are health issues with smoking weed,to claim other wise is to treat your readers as fools,,and you lose any credibility you have the instant you do that.

I want weed decriminalised as much as any other smoker,but I don't belive it will happen if we lie about some of the affects of weed,while keeping an eye open to the good side.

Most open minded people today "weather they be stoners or not" do realise the govt's lies about the affects of weed,,amounst many other things,,,but they'll still support the status quo when it comes to choosing between two liars.

We play their game,,,we lose,,the first post on this thread is their game.

Actualy I wouldn't be to supprised to find this thread was started for the very reason of making us look bad,,,,it's pretty fucking stupid.

[Rocker]

I can't see cannabis being legal for a century if ever.

In most states in Australia we have lost ground over the last ten years.

 

Those who want a drug free world firstly trained their sites on tobacco smoking.

They can sense victory there and now alcohol is the target.

 

You can bet London to a brick alcohol will take a hammering over the next 10-20 years.

 

Both alcohol and tobacco are the legal drugs. What hope for the illegal ones?

 

Sorry to be negative but you can't even buy a bong where I live. In the past it was no problem but even they have been banned from retail stores.

[hobbez]

While I do agree that sometimes the lines are blurred regarding mul from both sides, and that some of the opinions in the original post are misguiding, saying that tho JohnC they are opinions.

 

-The people that you've known to sit around all day and smoke weed make a choice to do that, same as the people that sit around and drink piss all day.

Moderation is key with anything..

 

-It's illegal, expensive - of course there are going to be dodgy fucks that plan shit like that. I'd say if it was legal tho there would be a hell of a lot less people getting ripped/mugged for there plants/g bag/ozzie.

 

-I don't think anyone from the pro-legalization side has ever said its perfectly safe for everyone, sure individuals make their mind up that it's safe cause they've smoked for 20 yrs blah blah like OP and there fine. But the majority of us would never say it's completely harmless, that's why this site is good - I've seen posts from people having problems and the majority of the respsonses seem to recomend slowing down/stopping etc.

 

Saying all that tho, I'm starting to get a little tired of using the alcohol vs weed argument when talking to my friends / family about it as everyone knows what a fucked up drug booze is, so saying that its safer than alcohol, wont do this like alcohol does, isn't addictive like alcohol is etc. is a wrong approach i think.

 

Anyway my 2c

 

Edit - what a hypocrit I am, just realized in my first reply to you about ppl smoking all day, i've used the 'people sit around and drink all day'

Edited December 7, 2009 by hobbez

[biggerbuds]

i think alcohol is the biggest killer out there,it sends people off there nut .

 

i do not get it,why let us drink but not smoke ? drinking is far worse then smoking a bit of dope.i think they need to take there heads out of there ass hole & face up to this fact.

 

 

[sparkler]

Very well written, cybergenesis. I enjoyed reading your post and obviously agree with pretty much everything you've said.

I'm also hoping, wishing, praying that one day weed will be legalised...obviously this isn't gonna happen any time in the immediate future (nor will decriminalisation on a national level happen any time soon)...but it's something I hope for...as well as many others here and abroad hope for..whether they smoke the shit or not.

 

I too would rather run out of weed than run out of coffee...when I run out of weed it's a bummer but there are no withdrawl symptoms for me. When I run out of coffee though?? - Don't even talk to me until I've sprinted down to coles, obtained a jar and have had at least 2 cups! To me, it isn't addictive however in saying that I do appreciate and accept that some people believe they are dependent on cannabis and will beg/steal/lie to obtain it if they have to. Same story goes for booze though and that is proven to be an addictive substance, unlike weed. As someone else put it, the key is moderation and just because weed isn't physically addictive doesn't mean that some users won't feel like they ARE addicted to it.

 

I have known people who've believed they are addicted to cannabis however when they choose or are forced to give up, they quickly realise that not having it isn't the nightmare they thought it would be. It's not like they're going into serious withdrawl or shock from giving up booze or harder drugs....or even COFFEE. Anyone here addicted to coffee will know exactly what I'm talking about if they've been deprived of caffeine for a set amount of time. Like the OP I have also had problems with alcohol in the past and I can honestly say that giving drinking up was emotionally and physically painful in every way imaginable and it took a very long time to get over. I've never heard of ANYONE going through utter hell physically or mentally just because they stopped smoking weed.

 

I also know that some people may be tiring of the argument of alcohol VS weed but the fact is it's a damn good argument and it's one I'll continue to use personally when I need to, as in when I'm faced with ignorant idiots who believe stoners are the scum of the earth but who fully support their bogan mates drinking a carton each Friday night before degrading women or getting into brutal fights with others for no reason other than they're drunk and feel like comparing c**k sizes.

 

Just my 2 cents

[Crunchy]

i agree guys, its a shame the world is capable of such ignorance, but the best thing you can do is educate yourself and talk to people about pot, if theyre uninformed and just regurgitating government propaganda then you shouldnt have a hard time putting them on their ass intellectually with the knowledge you find in docos and news articles. Best thing i feel we can do to fight to stereotype is to come off as passionate informed people, The truth is contagious, you provide a rational person with the facts and they will listen.